Renault 5 EV Debuts at 2024 Geneva Motor Show

The production model of Renault’s new electric supermini, which resurrects the name and appearance of a vintage car, has made its debut at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show. The new Renault 5 E-Tech is slated to be a throwback replacement for the well-liked Clio, sporting styling cues from the original Renault 5 from the 1970s.

Key ICE-powered original design elements, including the bonnet vent grille that doubles as a battery charge indicator, have been modified for the modern EV application, giving Renault’s design a “retrofuturistic” vibe. The most unusual of features is a sporty-looking fake air vent on the bonnet which has an LED charging indicator to show owners the current battery status.

The new Renault 5 EV gets a lighting signature that features a pair of rectangles in the corners of the front bumper, located where the fog lamps were on the original Renault 5 Turbo. A floating rectangular design is employed for the full LED headlamps. There is a sloping rear end, featuring incredibly detailed vertical taillights.

The pleasant looks are complemented by a variety of vibrant colors popular with motorists during the 1970s, including Pop Yellow and Midnight Blue, with a black roof being available on some models. With a 2,540 mm wheelbase, and dimensions of 3,920 mm long, 1,770 mm wide, and 1,500 mm tall, the Renault 5 maintains its compact dimensions in its new E-Tech Electric version.

Inside, the graphic and sound design of the welcome sequence was developed in collaboration with French composer Jean-Michel Jarre. The 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with a bright, flowing interface catches the attention, too. The brand’s OpenR Link multimedia system features Google built-in, offering access to a range of apps including Google Maps, Google Assistant, and more from Google Play. Smartphone integration comes courtesy of wired Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.

One adorable little detail is the steering column-mounted gear selector with a start-stop button and configurable display. The latter can show, for instance, a French flag or the silhouette of the original Renault 5 with the year 1972 next to it. The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric gets seat fabric made from fully recyclable material on Techno and Iconic Chiq trim levels, where the latter also gets bio-sourced materials for its steering upholstery and sound insulation. In a nod to its origins, the EV hatch can also be specified with a baguette holder for when the driver needs their energy top-up on the go.

The Renault 5 also brings Reno, an avatar to function as a virtual companion with answers for up to 200 pre-loaded questions. According to Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive:

“The Renault 5 E-Tech electric is a design masterstroke, a new brain with cutting-edge technologies and electric legs based on a new-generation platform that is unique in Europe.”

The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is the first from the manufacturer to be built on the AmpR Small vehicle architecture, formerly known as CMF-B EV. For the powertrain, the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric will be available in three variants – 110 kW (150 hp/245 Nm), 90 kW (122 hp/225 Nm), and 70 kW (95 hp/215 Nm), with the front-mounted 150 hp motor variant drawing energy from a 52 kWh NMC battery while the 122 hp and 95 hp motor variants are fed by a 40 kWh NMC battery.

The top variant with the 52 kWh battery offers a claimed range of up to 400 km, while the other two variants with the 40 kWh offer up to 300 km of driving range; both are based on the WLTP standards. For DC fast charging, the 52 kWh battery can receive up to 100 kW of DC charging, while the 40 kWh battery can be recharged at up to 80 kW DC. Both variants take 30 minutes to recharge from 15-80% SoC (state of charge). As for AC charging, the higher two variants support up to 11 kW, with support for bi-directional charging for vehicle-to-load (V2L) powering of external devices at up to 3.7 kW and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) feeding of electricity back to the power grid. The base variant gets 11 kW AC unidirectional charging.

The safety kit on the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is claimed to be on par with vehicles from the segment above the 5’s own B-segment, notably with reverse AEB, emergency lane keeping, and safe passenger exit, in addition to assistance systems including intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering assist, and hands-free parking. Further safety-led assistance is brought by Safety Coach, which is a tool to “objectively assess the driver’s behavior and practices to provide personalized advice for driving and use of the ADAS, to suggest possible improvements.”

At launch, the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric will be offered in two trim levels for the 110 kW (150 hp) powertrain – Techno, and Iconic Chiq. The price will start from around 25,000 euros (PKR 74.95 lac) in Europe.